Carnival of Rust
by Suki-Itami
Summary: Inspired by "Carnival of Rust" by Poets of the Fall


"_The Homunculi are still alive, Ed. This isn't some time for you to try and pretend the things around you aren't happening. I understand that you and the Colonel are in love, but, brother, for his own safety, you have to end it."_

Ed sighed as he walked down the familiar streets of Central City with his younger brother's words running through his head for the millionth time that day. Shortly after Alphonse had given Ed his warning, the suit of armor retreated to Resembool to help Winry take care of Pinako, who'd been sick recently.

_What does Alphonse know anyway? If the Homunculi were really as dangerous as he warned, I would've taken care of this situation long ago…_ Ed stopped and looked up at the dark, cloudy sky. His golden eyes narrowed as he tried to see any break in the clouds. He sighed again and continued walking. _Rain again. It never seems to stop anymore._

Ed walked onto the grounds of Central Headquarters. Once he was in the building, he took off his red trench coat that held the cross and serpent in black thread on the back and carried it under his arm until he reached Mustang's office. Ed looked around for the lazy Colonel that he loved, but saw no one.

_Must be somewhere actually doing work._ Ed thought as he laughed lightly to himself.

He plopped down on the black couch in the office and took off his black jacket trimmed with white, and his white gloves. He threw them over the arm of the couch with his trench coat and sprawled out comfortably. Ed rested his automail arm across his waist and his other arm dangled off the side of the couch. He was tired and wanted to sleep, but really didn't want to wake up again to Breada using a permanent marker to "touch up" his face.

Ed stared tiredly up at the cream colored ceiling and muttered, "Almost five years, and we still haven't gotten our original bodies back." He groaned and shut his eyes, about to give in to his body's wish to sleep. "It's starting to seem like we never will."

Just as Ed was about to fall asleep, the door to the office opened. Ed groaned again and opened his eyes to find his beloved standing in the doorway staring at him. He smiled at Mustang and sat up, ignoring the rejection from his body.

Mustang smiled softly and shut the door behind him as he walked over to Ed. He sat down next to his beloved blonde-haired shrimp and held him close. His black eyes glinted with happiness from seeing Ed after weeks of his absence.

"You really should call before you arrive, that way I don't feel so bad about you being alone when you get here." Mustang said softly as Ed leaned against his chest, dozing off.

"I wanted to surprise you." Ed said, snuggling closer to the only person he's ever felt this comfortable around.

Mustang buried his face in Ed's hair happily. "We've been a little bit busier than usual, so I rarely have time to take a break and come back here."

Ed chuckled a little. "So you're actually doing work?"

Mustang laughed as well. "Yes, I am. It keeps my mind off of the dangers you and your younger brother throw yourselves into." He lifted his head up and looked around the room, just now realizing that Al wasn't there. "Speaking of Alphonse, where is he?"

"He went back to Resembool to help Winry take care of Granny Pinako while she's sick. Apparently, she's got the flu or something…like that." Ed's breathing became even and timed as he drifted off to sleep.

Mustang smiled and hugged Ed before gently laying him back down on the couch and standing up. He opened up his blue military-issue jacket and checked a recent injury on his chest. His chest was wrapped up in bandages; the right side of his chest had started bleeding again when Ed leaned against it. Mustang hadn't let it show though; he just didn't want Ed to worry while he had his own goal to accomplish. Which Mustang knew the Elric brothers still hadn't when he saw the automail arm as he entered his office.

_Damn Homunculi!_ Mustang walked out of his office and over to the break room, where his subordinates were all resting because of injuries of their own. _I can't let Ed know they're in Central, he'd go chasing after them. He just got back, he needs a break..._

When Mustang opened the door, his subordinates looked over at him. Hawkeye grabbed the bandages on the table behind her as Mustang removed his jacket and sat down on one of the couches.

"So, Colonel, why'd you go to your office again?" Breada asked, seeing the shirtless Colonel with nothing in his hands sitting in front of him. He popped some Ibuprofen in his mouth and leaned back, his head was bandaged.

"Yeah? Weren't you going to go get some papers to work on or something like that?" Havoc asked as he lit a cigarette and rubbed the injured area on his arm.

Mustang smirked. "I was, but my shrimp is back from his latest goose chase."

"I take it that means that the Elric's failed to find the Philosopher's Stone again…?" Hawkeye asked as she rebandaged Mustang's chest. She made sure not to move her neck too much. It was bandaged from where it was nearly slit.

"Yes." Mustang sighed. "I wish they'd hurry and find it, I hate seeing Ed leave again and again. And I'm never sure if he's gonna come back."

"Yes, sir, we realize this." Fuery limped over to the couch Mustang was sitting on and sat beside him. "Considering the circumstances, though, I'm surprised at Ed."

Falman nodded in agreement. "Yes, I am too." He had his leg propped up on a chair; it was in a cast, broken.

"Huh?" Mustang didn't understand what they were talking about.

"What they mean, sir, is that Edward is putting you at risk because of his search." Hawkeye finished bandaging Mustang's chest and stood up, returning to the chair she was sitting in. "Edward and Alphonse have both told us that the Homunculi are hunting them. This would be the opportune moment for these monsters to kidnap, or even kill you, sir. By staying with you, Edward puts your very life at risk. Whether or not he realizes it though, is simple foolishness."

Mustang growled, not appreciating his most trusted subordinate degrading his boyfriend. "Hawkeye—"

"I have to agree with her, Colonel." Havoc said quickly. "We all learned that the hard way just yesterday from our little 'skirmish' with those creatures, and – to be honest, sir – I don't want to fight them again."

Breada nodded. "Yeah. Fullmetal knows exactly what those things are, and probably how to kill them, but we know nothing. By leaving us, you, in the dark about that information, or by staying with you, he's really putting your life in jeopardy, and on the line."

Mustang grunted and stood up, snatching his jacket off of the back of the couch and putting it on before stomping out of the break room and back to his office. Mustang walked into his office, glanced at the sleeping teenager on the couch, and sat down at his desk. He glared at the unfinished report on his desk, knowing that what they had told him was true, but he didn't want to admit it. Mustang didn't want to believe that Ed was knowingly putting him in danger and didn't do anything about it because of his own selfish reasons.

Mustang picked up the ink pen beside the report and began to write furiously. He was only doing the stupid report to flood out what his subordinates had told him…but it wasn't working. When he finished the report, 3 hours later, Mustang flipped a strand of his black hair out of his face and looked at Ed, who was still asleep. He stood up and walked over to the sleeping figure. He knelt down beside the couch and rested his tanned hand on the side of the pale face of the lovely 16-year-old he had pleasure of being with.

Ed opened his eyes and yawned before he smiled at the beautiful 26-year-old he loved to be around. (A/N: I don't know Mustang's age, but I assume it's around there.) "Hey."

Mustang smiled back. "Hey."

Ed leaned forward and connected his lips with Mustang's for a passionate kiss that he got back with the same intensity. Mustang forced his tongue into Ed's mouth and subconsciously climbed onto the couch, straddling Ed's waist. He took off the black tank top Ed was wearing, only parting from the younger boy for moment.

Ed quickly unbuttoned Mustang's jacket and started to slide it off of him when he felt the bandages around Mustang's chest. He broke away from Mustang and looked down at his boyfriend's chest, touching the bandaged area lightly. "Oh God…" He looked back at Mustang's face, which held a small look of pain. "What happened?"

Mustang smiled reassuringly. "It's nothing, just a small complication that got out of hand."

Ed sat up, forcing Mustang to sit beside him on the couch. He just stared at Mustang's bandaged chest, seeing a small area that Hawkeye had missed. His skin had been pierced and burned – burned from trying to sear the wound shut. "This isn't 'nothing', Roy. Who did this?! I swear I'll make them pay!"

Mustang laughed a little. "Ed, no need to get worked up over this. I've suffered worse."

"That doesn't matter! Just tell me!"

Hawkeye walked into the room, not fazed in the least by the two boys sitting on the couch without shirts. "The Homunculi did that to him."

Ed and Mustang looked over at Hawkeye.

She pointed at her bandaged neck. "They also did this to me." Hawkeye shut the door and leaned against it. "They also severed a muscle in Havoc's left arm, fractured Fuery's right leg, broke Falman's left leg, and gave Breada a concussion – along with various minor injuries."

Ed growled. "Where are they?!"

Hawkeye shrugged. "We don't know. They ran off once the Fuehrer showed up. Though, Ed, I believe you told us that there were supposed to be seven. Seeing as you figured they're named for the seven sins."

Ed nodded. "That's true, but I've only ever encountered six. One of which – Greed – I killed."

"There were only five." Hawkeye ignored the cold glare she was getting from Mustang. "It seems that the one who have not met yet does not wish to reveal themselves just yet…to anyone."

Ed nodded and grabbed his tank top off the ground, slipping it back on. "Right." He stood up and put his jacket back on. He left his trench coat on the arm of the couch. "I'll go around Central and try to find them. I won't be able to kill any of them, but I can fight until someone sends for reinforcements back here… And the Fuehrer too, seeing as the Homunculi retreat whenever they see him."

Hawkeye nodded. "I'll tail you as your guard."

Mustang stood up and put his jacket back on. "I'll go with you."

"Colonel, stay here. Your wound could reopen at any moment if you find yourself fighting, and then you'd just be useless." Hawkeye warned. "You're better off staying with the others in the break room."

Mustang sighed, knowing she was right. Ed smiled and gave Mustang a gentle hug. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Mustang hugged Ed back and watched as him and Hawkeye walked out of his office. He groaned and plopped back down on the couch. "Not here a day and he's already on another mission." He chuckled. "Now I can see why that Winry girl has a hard time keeping up with him."

…

"Ed." Hawkeye stopped when her and Ed were halfway down the main staircase of Central HQ. She was in civilian clothes – a white button down shirt and blue jeans with a light blue jacket buttoned at the neck to hide her injury.

Ed stopped and looked back at Hawkeye. "Yeah?"

"While we were fighting them, the Homunculi told us exactly why it was us they were attacking." Hawkeye's face was strangely more serious than usual. "They were trying to get you, through us, Ed. More importantly, the one that can morph told us that he had specific instructions to kill Colonel Mustang."

A look of shock froze on Ed's face. He couldn't believe that Al was right.

"You saw his chest, right…? The one that was told to kill the Colonel…almost did. He morphed into Brigadier General Hughes in front of us. He managed to shake up the Colonel so bad that he couldn't move…" Hawkeye walked down a few more stairs to stand in front of Ed. "…and stabbed him near his heart. Mustang managed to sear the wound shut, but nearly died. He's only back to work today because the doctors didn't like him as a patient."

Ed bit his bottom lip. "…He wasn't gonna tell me, was he…?"

Hawkeye shook her head. "No, the Colonel was too concerned about your safety to even think about mentioning it. At least, that's what I believe."

Ed hung his head, knowing what he had to do. _Dammit! I guess…_ He looked up at Hawkeye. "I won't need you to tail me. Tell everyone upstairs not to bother contacting me. But, first, could you send Roy back to his office. I need…I need to tell him something."

Hawkeye nodded and put one hand on his shoulder. "It may hurt you both, but by hurting him, you're protecting him. I swore to protect him, by that promise, if he was killed because of your recklessness…I would've killed you."

Ed smiled just a little. "Okay. I can see where you're coming from though…"

Hawkeye bowed politely and walked back up the stairs, turning in the direction of the break room.

Ed ran up the stairs and back to Mustang's office. He put on his trench coat and gloves immediately when he got there, bracing himself for this. _…I guess I'm just not meant to be happy._

Mustang walked into his office not a second later. "Hawkeye said that you wanted to see me…that it was urgent."

Ed took a deep breath. "Colonel…"

Mustang froze; Ed hadn't called him that since before they started dating. And, he had said that he'd call Mustang "Roy" whenever addressing him – unless a superior officer was present.

Ed didn't even look back at Mustang, he just didn't want to see the only person he's ever truly loved so hurt. "…I've been meaning to speak to you about this ever since I got back, but I…I just didn't know how to say it."

"Ed?" Mustang walked up behind the other boy and rested his hand on Ed's shoulder comfortingly. "What's—" He stopped as his hand was swatted away.

"Don't touch me." Ed took another breath. "Don't make this harder than it already is."

"E-Edward?" Mustang just didn't understand, he never expected what was coming…

"I…I haven't…l-loved you for a while now. I just didn't want you to be sad, but now…I understand that I have to this, not just for myself but also so that you won't be in danger."

Mustang couldn't say anything for a few moments, but finally found his voice again and said, "Is this about protecting me?! I can protect myself. Ed, you don't have to do anything unnessecary to protect me." He rested his hand on Ed's shoulder again. "Okay?"

Ed knew he would hate himself for doing this, but he just growled, turned, and shoved Mustang away from him. "Listen, Colonel, I just don't love you anymore! You were just another romance. Half of this **is** to protect you, but, to be honest, it's mostly because of how I feel." Ed stalked off towards the door. "From now on, I'll give my reports to Lieutenant Hawkeye. Goodbye, Colonel Mustang."

Ed walked out of the office and slammed the door behind him as he ran off and out of Central HQ as fast as he could. He couldn't stay around there anymore. In fact, he wasn't even planning on reporting to anyone from Mustang's faction anymore. He was gonna start reporting to the person in charge at East HQ.

_At least if I report there, Al and I can stop in at Resembool to see Winry and Granny more often. Yeah, look at it that way._ Ed kept running until he was at the train station, buying a ticket to Resembool. He was gonna pick up Al and just avoid Central the rest of their days.

"Aw… The pipsqueak seems sad." A military personel with a familiar voice to Ed said with a laugh.

Ed looked over at the guy with light brown hair and blue eyes. Regardless of the disguise, he knew who it was. "Envy." He glared at the disguised Homunculus.

"Come now, pipsqueak, you're not expecting to get away that easily." Envy laughed again.

"I think I am." Ed took the ticket from the ticket master and walked towards the train.

Envy laughed again and grabbed Ed's wrists, cuffing them. "No, you're not."

"What the hell?! Let me go!" Ed yelled.

People looked over at the scene and Envy reassured them that he was an MP arrested Ed on a possible – false – charge of theivery. He led Ed away seemingly back towards Central HQ, then pulled him into an ally and knocked him out.

Envy laughed and morphed back into his original form, the form with long green/black hair and purple eyes. The Oroborus clearly tattooed on his left thigh just under his skirt. (A/N: And, yes, it **is** a skirt!)

"Don't celebrate yet, Envy." A woman walked into the ally, hair and eye color the same as Envys. She wore a long low-cut, sleeveless dress with gloves. The Oroborus on her chest.

"And why not? The pipsqueak alchemist has been captured; just what father wanted. Come on, Lust, help me carry him back to the underground city."

Lust grabbed Ed and helped Envy get him onto the other Homunculus's back before the two ran off.

Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist; one of the best State Alchemist's in the military…has just been abducted.


End file.
